Lumber & Wood (Used/Reusable) Newsgroup

Location: THAILAND, MAE ON CHIANG MAI

Reclaimed Solid Teak.
We buy and stock lumber from old whole teak houses, often more than 100 years old. Reclaimed or old teak wood does not "move", expanding or contracting which is often what happens when young or kiln-dried plantation teak is used for furniture. Reclaimed teak also has more elaborate, more beautiful grains, is harder and more durable, offering our customers a lifetime of maintenance free beauty in all our teak furniture. We measure all our teak with a wood humidity meter. Reclaimed teak has moisture content of not more than 3%, compared to an average of 11% for kiln-dried plantation teak. Tectona grandis is one of three species in the genus Tectona. The other two species, T. hamiltoniana and T. philippinensis, are endemics with relatively small native distributions in Myanmar and the Philippines, respectively.[6] Tectona grandis is native to India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, northern Thailand, and northwestern Laos. Tectona grandis is found in a variety of habitats and climatic conditions from arid areas with only 500 mm of rain per year to very moist forests with up to 5,000 mm of rain per year. Typically, though, the annual rainfall in areas where teak grows averages 1,250-1,650 mm with a 3-5 month dry season. Teak wood (Tectona Grandis) is commonly considered by ship builders and outdoor furniture manufacturer's to be the planet's most versatile, durable, and valuable hard wood. Teak forests are highly regulated due to the increased demand, ecological and economical impact, and often sub-standard working conditions on plantations. It is not a rain forest species; growing in deciduous forests at a yield of only 3-5 trees per acre. Thus, it is a precious resource across the globe. However, there are only four countries in the world that contain natural teak forests; Burma, Laos, India, and Thailand, with Burma (Myanmar) accounting for approximately 80% of the world's exported natural teak supply. Teak is a dense, coarse, close-grained hardwood. It contains high levels of resinous oils that allow it to be naturally resistant to moisture, repellent to insects, and impervious to the drying effects of weather. Teak also contains silica, a sand-like component which creates a density to the wood that allows it to also be resistant to fungal decay, water, rotting, warping, shrinking, swelling and many damaging chemicals. It will not rust or corrode metals it comes in contact with and it can withstand the elements of all seasons, with its beauty increasing with its age. No other wood compares to teak regarding its durability, elegance, stability and low maintenance; making it the ultimate material choice for furniture construction and ship building worldwide.